Abstract
ALTHOUGH several investigations of the infra-red spectrum of collagen in the 2µ region have been reported1, no comment appears to have been made on the fact that the absorption band at 5,150 cm.−1, generally attributed to sorbed water, is dichroic. The extent of this dichroism is shown in Fig. 1 (above), obtained from kangaroo tail tendon in equilibrium with the laboratory atmosphere. In a further spectrum obtained after drying at 100° C. for 3 hr., shown in Fig. 1 (below), the absorption band at 5,150 cm.−1 is virtually eliminated, thus confirming its assignment to sorbed water. Subsequent exposure to the laboratory atmosphere restored the dichroic absorption band at 5,150 cm.−1.
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Crick, F. H. C., and Kendrew, J. C., “Adv. in Protein Chem.”, 12, 133 (1957).
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FRASER, R., MACRAE, T. Possible Role of Water in Collagen Structure. Nature 183, 179–180 (1959). https://doi.org/10.1038/183179a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/183179a0
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